New Beginnings : July 1974
by AnonHPWriter
Summary: An extension in the New Beginnings world. By request. Warning: this story contains the spanking of a child. AU.


**July 1974**

Sirius felt his heart skip a beat as he heard something hit his window. His eyes drifted to the small clock on his bedside table. It was just after one in the morning. He was sure that his parents were fast asleep.

Moving quickly from his bed he glanced in the mirror. Sporting a pair of jeans and a tee shirt he ran a hand through his long hair, giving a soft smile. He had changed the moment James had fallen asleep. He felt guilty for keeping his late night adventure from his brother but it wasn't as if James was going to come along with him. He walked over to the window, moving the curtain he looked down into the side yard to see the girl smiling up at him. Giving her a nod he pointed towards the front of the house.

He had met her a few days ago down on the beach and had instantly been completely smitten with her. James had teased him mercilessly over it. Making several comments about how many girls Sirius had snogged over the three weeks that they had been at the cottage so far.

This was the first girl however, that had agreed to sneak over so late.

Sirius gave James one last glance, the boy was fast asleep, his left leg hanging off of the bed. Carefully Sirius opened the bedroom door before tiptoeing down the hall. He held his breath as he passed his parents' bedroom, no light coming from under their door.

A moment later he slowly made his way down the stairs, cautious about which steps he put his weight on. He knew all too well which creaked too loudly and which would remain silent.

As Sirius stepped onto the first floor he let out a large breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding in. He moved to the front door, quietly opening it just a crack and slipping outside.

"Hi," she breathed from her spot sitting on a rocking chair on the porch.

"Hey there," Sirius said softly as he closed the door softly behind him. He moved across the porch, keeping his eyes on her. She was clad in jeans as well and a tight, low cut shirt. Her long blonde hair was down, reaching the middle of her back. Sirius found himself wondering for a moment if he may have finally met his match. He was so used to girls who would never sneak over after midnight. Girls who acted like his even suggesting such a thing was horribly wrong. Here this girl was sitting on his front porch without a care in the world.

Sirius moved to sit in the rocking chair beside her when she stood.

"I thought we would go inside?"

Sirius felt his heartbeat quicken at the words. Was this girl that thick? Still, he didn't want to appear like he was frightened. He ignored every gut feeling he had and instead nodded, turning on his heel back towards the front door. The moment that she stood he took her hand in his own and led her to the front door.

"We just have to be quiet," he explained softly as his free hand turned the doorknob. "My parents are upstairs asleep."

She nodded putting a finger over her lips with a small grin.

He gave a nod in reply as he felt his heartbeat skip. He was sure that he was mental. He turned the doorknob once more, quietly opening the door before slipping inside and then opening the door a bit wider to allow her to walk in.

Sirius watched as she walked into the house with ease. She seemed like getting caught and getting into trouble was the furthest thing from her mind. He took a deep breath before taking her hand in his own again and leading her into the parlor. He suddenly found himself wishing that he had his wand so he could cast a silencing spell. He wouldn't have been able to even if he did have his wand though. This girl was a muggle. He couldn't just whip his wand out and start setting spells even if he would have liked to and sneaking away from her to do it didn't seem like it would have worked either.

The moment that he sat on the couch she sat down next to him, draping her legs over his lap. Her hand instantly went to the back of his neck, her fingers gently brushing against his skin.

A moment later she leaned forward, kissing his lips softly before she pulled away, a small giggle escaping her mouth, "You seem so nervous."

Sirius shook his head resisting the urge to ask her to whisper despite the fact the she had spoken pretty softly. "I'm not at all," he breathed attempting to force his body to relax. He was having a hard time shaking the feeling that if they got caught he would be in a world of trouble. He was also having a hard time with the idea that he hadn't signed up for this. Being caught out on the front porch would have been bad enough but now they were in the parlor.

She shrugged before kissing him once more.

Sirius felt his body relaxing at her gentle touch, her fingers still brushing the back of his neck. He started kissing her back, turning his body slightly so that he was facing her better. His right hand wrapped tightly around her, pulling her small frame closer to his as his left hand rested on her knee. He could taste spearmint and he found himself wondering if it was from toothpaste or gum.

He found himself relaxing more so as the hand that had been gently brushing the back of his neck moved to tenderly tangle in his hair, her other hand resting on his thigh. "I really like you," she whispered moving her head less than an inch; her words speaking directly into his mouth.

"I really like you too." It wasn't a lie. He did like her. He wasn't naive enough to think that anything substantial would ever come of it though. He would be going home in a few weeks' time and then back to Hogwarts. She lived in a different world. The small seaside town that the cottage sat in the middle of was her home. She went to the local public school. If they were older it may have worked but they weren't. When they went home we wouldn't see her again until next summer and that was an entire lifetime away.

She breathed softly in response before leaning forward and kissing him once more.

Sirius was seconds away from moving his hand from her knee to her chest when he heard someone clear their throat softly.

Dread filled Sirius as he quickly pulled away from Sarah. The dread only doubling as he turned his head to see his mum standing behind the couch.

"What is this?" She asked in a soft voice.

"Mum we were just...I mean I was just," Sirius stumbled over his words, his cool persona that he had built up over the past week in front of Sarah vanishing quickly.

"A word in the kitchen please," Lydia requested in a tone that left no room for argument.

Sirius glanced over at Sarah pleased that she at least knew enough to look guilty for her actions. He was sure that if she appeared annoyed or smug any attraction he felt towards her would be long gone.

A moment later he was on his feet, moving as quickly as he could to the kitchen.

"Just give us a moment Love," Lydia spoke kindly to Sarah. "We'll get you home in just a moment. Your parents may be sick with worry."

Sirius felt his heart swell as he leaned against the kitchen counter. He loved that his mum was still nice to her. His real mother would have cursed the girl while she chased her out of the house or likely both of them out of the house. Sirius had lost count of how many times he had slept in the side alley beside his parents' house after she had chased him out.

Lydia walked into the kitchen, waving a hand and setting a silencing charm. "What is going on Sirius?"

Sirius instantly noted that she sounded more sad than angry. "I can explain."

Lydia raised an eyebrow as she too leaned against the counter, facing her son. "I'm not sure what kind of explanation can justify what I just walked in on but I am willing to listen to one." She fought hard to force her voice to go stern. It wasn't a role that she usually played, nor one that she liked.

Her husband had nearly come downstairs instead. However, after discovering Sirius missing from his bed and hearing the sounds of a female voice, she had convinced him to stay upstairs and allow her to handle it. She was sure it was the right decision. Charles loved the boys dearly though she did not doubt that he would have lost his temper at the scene and likely mortified Sirius in the process.

"We wanted to hang out and...and we were just going to sit on the front...the front porch but she wanted to come in and…" Sirius trailed off. He knew that his reasoning was hardly an excuse. At least not one that she would accept.

"It is two in the morning. You aren't even supposed to be out on the porch. You are supposed to be fast asleep in your bed." Lydia shook her head in disapproval.

"I'm sorry," Sirius breathed softly.

Lydia swallowed hard forcing herself to refrain from pulling the child into her arms. "Your father is awake. You can go right upstairs and explain this all to him. When you are done send him down here please." The words pained her to say yet in the same breath she had never been so displeased by his actions.

Sirius felt his stomach literally drop at the words. He felt his heart beating against his rib cage. It was bad enough that his mum had caught him. He couldn't tell his dad. He just couldn't! She never made he or James do such a thing. If anything she was the one usually sticking up for them. She was the one typically telling their dad in a hushed voice to go easy on them while he and James pretended not to hear.

"Mum no!" Sirius begged before he could even stop himself. "Please no! Don't make me tell dad. Please!"

"I'm sorry Sirius but you likely should have considered this outcome prior to having that young lady out there in the parlor at two in the morning." Lydia was sure that she had never been quite so firm with the child in the past. It wasn't her way. However she was also sure that she had never imagined such a scenario, even with two teenage boys under her roof.

"But mum please!" Sirius tried once more. "He'll be so angry!"

"Oh I happen to think that he will be much more saddened by this behavior than cross, at least tonight." She pressed her lips into a tight line. "Now go and make sure you send him down here after you explain things so that he may walk your friend home."

Sirius let out a small defeated sound that could only be described as a whine before turning and disappearing up the back staircase.

He moved slowly, being in absolutely no rush to speak to his father. Sirius found himself wishing that earlier in the day when he had seen Sarah on the beach that he had never suggested her coming over that evening. He had honestly never expected her to say yes. He had invited girls over in the past and they had always refused the offer, smiling shyly and saying that they could never do such a thing. Sarah had agreed instantly and Sirius couldn't help but thinking that he should have changed his mind then.

He paused outside of his parents' bedroom door, his hand resting on the doorknob. Sirius had no idea how he was supposed to explain this to his dad. The man reminded him and James constantly that they were to respect girls at all times and Sirius was pretty sure that getting caught snogging a girl on the couch at two in the morning was not considered respecting her.

Sirius felt his breath caught in his throat once more before he let out a shuddering breath.

"Sirius! Walk yourself in here please!"

Sirius swallowed hard at the sound of his dad's voice. The man already sounded cross and he didn't even know what was going on yet.

Sirius took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping into the room, closing the door behind him. He found himself being more thankful than ever that James could literally sleep through a troll stomping around his bedroom.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" Charles asked sternly. The man was sitting up in his bed, a confused yet annoyed look on his face.

"I have to tell you something," Sirius said softly as he stepped closer to the foot of the bed. "You're going to be mad but I'm sorry. I really am and I swear I'll never do it again."

Charles sat up a bit straighter at the words, leaning forward slightly. "What is going on Sirius?" The man repeated the question once more, this time a bit more sternly.

"I met this girl a few days ago, Sarah. I really like her. I swear I do dad," Sirius pressed. "We have been hanging out on the beach and at the arcade a lot with James and some of her friends."

"It is after two in the morning Sirius. While I appreciate you trying to thoroughly explain things I would be more than thankful if you got to the point of all of this."

"She's downstairs," Sirius forced the words out. "I invited her over tonight. We were just going to sit out on the porch but she wanted to come in and…" His words trailed off as his dad moved the blankets off of him and stood.

Sirius involuntarily took a step backwards. "Mum wants you to come downstairs."

A disgruntled look crossed Charles' face as he took a step towards his child. "You brought this girl...Sarah, over in the middle of the night? What was the purpose of doing so Sirius because I am nearly certain it wasn't to sit and talk."

"We were just snogging. Nothing else happened, I swear!"

Charles closed his eyes for a moment, hardly believing the words that he was hearing. He had raised the boys better than this, he was sure of it. His eyes flickered open as he shook his head at his son. "Go to bed. We will discuss this after breakfast."

Sirius shook his head as he took another step backwards. "Please don't be cross with me. I didn't mean it. I-"

"Do not stand there and tell me that you did not mean this," Charles spoke firmly. "You have already said that _you_ invited her over. Do not for a moment act as if this was all some mistake."

"But I-"

"Go to bed Sirius. It is late and I can only imagine that your mum wants me downstairs in order to walk Sarah home which means it will be a good hour before I can go back to sleep."

"Dad I-," Sirius tried but was cut off once more.

"Sirius I will not repeat myself. Get your defiant backside into bed." Charles tone was sterner yet as he moved across the room to his wardrobe pulling out a pair of slacks and a shirt.

Sirius wanted to ask if he could go back downstairs first and say goodnight to Sarah but he was sure that his dad would only get angrier at such a question. Instead he quickly turned and walked out of his parents' bedroom and down the hall to his own.

He quickly changed into pajamas and climbed into his bed, James still snoring softly in the bed next to his.

Sirius laid on his back staring up at the ceiling. A few moments later he heard the front door close. He nearly climbed out of bed and looked out his window to see his dad walking Sarah the five blocks back to her house but he didn't dare move. He was sure his mum would be in any moment. She always did when he was in trouble, she did the same with James. She would come in and speak to him softly about everything and make him feel better. Within minutes of talking to her the horrible feeling of dread that had settled in his stomach would diminish.

He sighed softly as he rolled onto his side, glancing at the small clock on the table between his bed and James' bed. It was just two thirty. Sirius sighed softly as he wrapped his arms around his stomach. He hated this feeling. It was never any different. Every time he found himself in trouble with his parents the feeling of complete guilt that took over every inch of his body was enough to make him want to never disobey again.

It was still a somewhat new feeling to him, even after nearly two years with the Potters. He had never felt guilt like this with his birth parents. Half the time when they punished him it wasn't even deserved and when it was deserved he never felt remorse for his actions. He had only ever felt angry.

It often amazed him how differently he could feel about two people that he had known for such a short time. How he could care so deeply about disappointing them. How their approval and praise could make him feel completely elated.

Up until the Potters had come into his life he had always been convinced that he was the problem. He had always been so sure that if he just learned to keep his mouth shut or not to take so many risks his birth parents would treat him differently.

Over the past two years however, those feelings had slowly changed and then vanished completely. It had taken him some time to understand that he wasn't going to be thrown out for getting into trouble or belted for making a small mistake. Even when he was punished it was handled so differently with the Potters. They didn't scream at him or throw him across the room. They were always so kind and took the time to speak with him about everything. It made the guilt that he was feeling now for his actions even worse.

Sirius glanced over at the clock once more realizing that it had been nearly twenty minutes since he had laid down. He was hit with the sudden fear that perhaps he had gone too far this time. By now his mum was usually sitting on the edge of his bed speaking softly to him and making him feel better. It never took her this long to come to him.

Sirius felt tears well in his eyes despite how hard he tried to prevent them from doing so. His dad would likely be back any moment and then they would go to bed and he would be left alone feeling like a complete prat. He was sure he deserved such treatment after his behavior but it didn't make the realization that they felt that way as well any easier.

Sirius balled his hand up in a fist before raising it to rub harshly at his left eye in an attempt to stop the tears from actually falling. Despite his best efforts however, his tears soon escaped his eyes, running down his face and dripping onto his pillow. Once more he found himself thankful that James slept so soundly.

His tears were falling steadily when the bedroom door opened causing his heart to stop for a moment. "Mum?" He croaked softly.

"Sirius?" Lydia replied in a concerned voice. She had never seen the child cry prior to being punished or prior to his punishment even being discussed. "Why the tears Love?" She quickly moved across the room, placing a mug on the bedside table.

Sirius sat up and quickly moved as she sat down on the edge of his bed. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I'm so sorry mum. I don't know what I was thinking." He shook his head into her shoulder quickly rethinking his words. "I _wasn't_ thinking and I am so sorry."

"No, you were not thinking," Lydia agreed in a soft yet stern tone. "Your actions tonight were not acceptable in the least." She hardly wanted to worsen the child's tears however, she did not intend to allow this behavior to be let off easily. She knew that Charles would express their disapproval but she could not just act as if all was well with how she felt about this instance.

Sirius sucked his breath in at her words. "I thought you weren't going to come in," he admitted in a whisper.

Lydia frowned at the admission. "Oh Sirius Love," she said softly as her hand moved to gently rub the teenager's back. "There is nothing that you could ever do that would make me stop doing so." She gently pulled the child away from her, looking down at his face. "Never forget that okay?"

Sirius looked up at her, his eyes searching her face. Instantly he found the love that he had never found with his birth parents. He nodded, his breath hitching slightly before he spoke. "Okay."

She moved her hand once more, reaching out to gently push the teenager's hair off of his tear stained face. "I apologize for taking longer than normal to come speak with you. I was making you a cup of warm milk." She nodded in the direction of the bedside table. "I thought you might need something to help you calm down a bit."

Sirius found himself squeezing his arms tightly around her middle at the words. "I'm just so sorry."

Lydia leaned down placing a gentle kiss on the top of the boy's head. "I know that you are. I trust that this will not happen again and therefore you are forgiven."

A particularly loud sob escaped Sirius' mouth at the words. He was sure that the words were meant to comfort him and they did but in the same breath they made him feel a million times worse. How was it possible he could muck up so badly and she could still forgive him so easily?

"Calm down," she said gently her hand moving to rub his back once more. "Just take a deep breath and calm down. You made a mistake Sirius, that is hardly the end of the world. Everything will be just fine Love."

Sirius shook his head once more, his hands moving from around her middle to rub at his face in an attempt to brush away his tears; an utterly pointless task as they were still falling. "Dad is so mad."

Lydia was silent for a moment as she pressed her lips into a tight line. "He is disappointed," she clarified. "With good reason."

Sirius' shoulders slouched slightly at the words. He had been hoping that his mum would assure him that his dad wasn't upset with him but clearly that wasn't going to happen.

"You need to calm yourself down," Lydia said gently as her hand moved to rub the teenager's back once more. "It's late and I need you to get some sleep."

Sirius nodded as he once more raised his hands to rub at his face in an attempt to remove the tears. He hated crying. It always took him ages to calm back down.

Lydia leaned over picking up the mug that she had set on his bedside table. "Have some warm milk Love, it will help."

Sirius nodded as he took the mug from her. He sniffled loudly, his breath hitching slightly before he forced himself to take a deep breath and a small sip of the milk.

"That's it," Lydia nodded as she moved to rub his back once more. "Just calm yourself down. It will all be okay."

Sirius gave a small nod, his breath hitching once more before he took another, longer, sip of the warm milk. He leaned over placing the cup on the table between his and James' beds. The boy slowly laid down, his head resting on his pillow as he looked up at his mum. "I really am sorry."

Lydia pursed her lips together before she stood momentarily, pulling the covers up over Sirius and tucking them around his shoulders. She sat on the edge of the bed once more, stretching her arm out to reach around him and gently rub his back. "I know Love. We all make mistakes sometimes. It is all going to be okay. You will see."

"He's so mad," Sirius said softly as he moved his hand to rub at his face once more.

"He is _disappointed_," Lydia corrected once more. "He expects more from you. He _knows _that you know better than to behave as you did." She sighed softly as she looked down at her child. He was still a mess of tears. At this rate she would never get him calmed down enough to sleep. "Your friend, Sarah, would you like to tell me about her?"

"I shouldn't have had her over, I know," Sirius replied as a fresh batch of tears ran down his face.

"No, you should not have. However, that isn't what I meant. You must like her if you had her here. Would you like to tell me about her?" Lydia's hand continued to brush softly across the boy's back.

Sirius coughed out a sob as he rubbed at his face once more. "She...she's nice, she's different."

"Different how?" Lydia questioned softly as her free hand moved to gently brush a tear from the boy's cheek.

Sirius shrugged, his eyes closing as she brushed the tear away. It always amazed him how he could mess up so badly and she could still be so caring. She had been so upset with him an hour earlier in the kitchen and now she was sitting here in the middle of the night comforting him. His birth mother would have thrown him in his room to wait for his father to come thrash him. Once when he was eight he had gotten out of bed to get a drink of water. He had accidentally dropped the glass in the kitchen causing it to shatter on the tile floor. His mother had slapped him across the face so hard that he couldn't hear out of his right ear for two days.

"She's really nice," Sirius said softly. "It's different from girls at Hogwarts."

Lydia hummed softly. "Because she is a muggle?"

Sirius shrugged once more. "Because she doesn't know me. I mean she knows me but not everything about me. She is easy to talk to." His hand moved to rub at his face once more. His tears had stopped and he was beyond thankful for it.

"Maybe in the near future, you could have her over properly. She would be more than welcome to join us for dinner." Lydia gave the boy a soft smile as she continued to rub his back.

"Really?" Sirius turned his head slightly to look at her properly.

"Of course. Any friend of yours will always be welcome in our home Sirius." She paused a moment before giving him a quick wink. "Though not at two in the morning please."

A small, guilty smile spread across Sirius' lips as he nodded.

"Now it is time for you to get some sleep." Lydia leaned down placing a gentle kiss on the boy's forehead. "You must be exhausted."

Sirius instantly closed his eyes obediently hoping that somehow cooperating with her would win him points with his dad.

Lydia stayed put, rubbing the teenager's back for several long moments. It was only when his breathing finally started to even out that she slowly stood and made her way out of the room and back to her own bedroom.

She stepped into her bedroom, closing the door tightly behind her.

"Sarah's parents are lovely people but they were absolutely mortified by the idea that their daughter was out so late. Not to mention with our son snogging in the parlor." Charles' tone was past annoyed.

Lydia looked over to her husband. The man was sitting up in bed, resting against the headboard and still looking absolutely furious. "They both made a mistake," she spoke softly as she moved over to the bed. She took off her dressing gown, lying it over the foot of the bed before sitting down next to her husband. "Sirius was a mess of tears for over an hour. He just fell asleep."

"Sirius is lucky he was in bed and not waiting in my study with his nose in the corner for me to arrive home and slipper his disobedient backside," Charles replied with a huff. "Because I promise you Lydia, that is exactly where he will be tomorrow morning after breakfast."

A soft sigh escaped Lydia's lips as her husband laid out their child's fate. "Is that really necessary? You didn't see how upset he was. He is so remorseful."

Charles turned, leaning on his elbow as he faced his wife more properly. "Our fourteen year old was just caught with a girl in the parlor at two in the morning. Do not try and tell me that a few tears excuses such behavior. He _knows _better!"

"Of course it does not excuse his behavior however maybe if you just talked with him you can make him understand that what he did was unacceptable and it cannot happen again." Lydia turned her body slightly to face her husband.

"I do intend to talk to him," Charles nodded. "And after I do so I intend to take him over my knee so that the slipper can talk to him as well." He waved a hand causing the room to darken before he laid down fully. "It is not undeserved Lydia."

A sound of frustration escaped her lips as she waved her own hand causing the room to illuminate once more. "I did not say that it is undeserved. I said that he is very remorseful and I do not believe that this will happen again, even without the use of your slipper."

"It should not have happened this time," Charles countered. "He knows better! That is the bottom line."

Lydia remained silent as she waved her hand once more, the room darkening. "All I am asking is that you talk with him first and that you listen."

"I always listen to them." Charles voice softened as he waved his hand once more. He looked over at his wife lying beside him. "If he has some excuse that I have not thought of I will certainly be willing to reconsider how this is dealt with."

"As far as I know he does not," Lydia admitted. "He simply made a mistake."

"Mistakes have consequences. He knows that. He knows that well." Charles waved his hand once more, the room darkening. "This is not a mistake that I wish to ever see a repeat of and I intend to make sure he knows that."

* * *

Breakfast came far too soon for Sirius' liking. His mum had made all of his favorites however, he could not bring himself to eat hardly any of it. His heart was beating a mile a minute. He felt like he couldn't even swallow his food the lump in his throat was so large.

James' face was a mess of confusion. Sirius hadn't had a moment to tell him anything. James was sure that his brother was in trouble. It was evident from Sirius' nervousness to his dad's shortness to his mum's overindulgence in Sirius. Even the large breakfast that had been made told James that Sirius had done something wrong. He had no idea what it could have been though. The boy sat quietly racking his brain as he tried to think of something that had happened in the past few days that could have caused his brother to be in trouble.

Sirius pushed his food across his plate before he stole a side glance at his dad. His eyes quickly moved back to his food when he saw the look of annoyance on the man's face. He had hoped that by morning he would have calmed down but clearly that wasn't the case.

"If you are not going to eat you may go to the study and find a corner to put your nose in."

Sirius took in an audible breath as he quickly stood, pushing his chair in. "Yes Sir."

The moment that Sirius vanished from the room, James looked at his mum before his eyes drifted to his dad. "What did he do?"

"That is not your business unless Sirius decides to share it with you," Lydia replied. She was certain that Sirius would tell James exactly what had happened. She knew her boys well enough to know that they told each other everything.

"Your mother is right," Charles nodded though he found himself breathing a sigh of relief. He had been worried that James had known exactly what Sirius was up the night before, prior to his doing so. Charles had given up long ago on punishing one of the boys for knowing about mischief the other intended to get into. Punishing them did absolutely nothing. They refused to ever tell on the other. Although it could be frustrating, Charles respected their loyalty to one another.

Charles took another sip of his tea before standing and pushing his chair in. "I am going to go speak with Sirius."

Lydia nodded as she looked up at her husband. "When James is done eating he and I are going to take a walk to the market."

James didn't argue with his mother's words. He actually enjoyed going to the market with her. Aside from that he hardly wanted to make Sirius feel worse when he came up to their room afterwards. He would talk to his brother after his nap.

Charles walked out of the kitchen and towards his study. He paused outside of the door for a moment before gripping the doorknob and pushing the door open. He closed it tightly behind him before pulling his wand out and quickly setting a silencing spell.

"Dad?" Sirius said through the tears that were now dripping down his face. "Dad I- I'm sorry."

Charles looked over at the child standing in the corner. His shoulders were shaking as his right hand moved to rub at his face. "You know the rules of being in the corner Sirius. You are to remain silent."

Sirius nodded but refrained from answering verbally, a loud sob escaping his lips instead.

Charles moved across the room. He picked up one of the wooden chairs in front of his desk with his right hand and quickly turned it around to face the boy before sitting down. He rested his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together as his eyes moved to the clock. He had intended to keep Sirius in the corner for half an hour but the child's despondent sobbing was causing him to rethink his plan. He found himself instantly deciding that ten more minutes would be more than sufficient.

A second loud sob escaped Sirius' lips as he leaned his forehead against the wall. He hated this! He hated that he was already crying. He hated that his dad was so disappointed in him. The air in the room felt tense and he hated that too. He hated that he had been so stupid.

"Sirius," Charles spoke sternly. "Would you like to stay in the corner for double the time that you are supposed to?"

"No...no Sir," Sirius choked out through his tears.

"Then behave as you are supposed to and stand up straight. I understand that you are upset however, you know the rules." His tone was no less stern than it had been moments ago.

"Sorry," Sirius breathed as he pulled his head away from the wall and forced himself to stand up straight.

Charles remained silent as his eyes moved to the clock once more. The boy still had seven minutes left however, Charles was sure that he would not last that long at least not without having to be scolded.

A soft sigh escaped Charles' lips before he cleared his throat. "Bring yourself over here please."

Sirius remained where he was for a long moment before he slowly turned around. His eyes were red and puffy both from his tears as well as from not having gotten enough sleep the night before. He slowly walked over to his dad as he silently willed the man not to yell. Sirius had only heard his dad yell once before and he had absolutely hated it.

The moment that Sirius was close enough, Charles reached out and took hold of his hand, pulling him to the spot between his knees. "I want you to explain to me exactly what you were thinking when you decided it was a good idea to invite Sarah over in the middle of the night." His voice was stern but he made sure to keep it at a normal level. He did not enjoy yelling at his boys and he knew that they did not enjoy it either.

"I- I don't know." Sirius rubbed at his face once more. "I wasn't thinking at all."

Charles nodded as he refrained from commenting that he agreed. "I hope you know that your behavior was completely unacceptable. You directly defied both me and your mum."

"I'm sorry." Sirius continued to rub at his face. "I really am."

"I do not doubt that you are." Charles' hand gently tapped against the boy's hip. "However, that does not change that there are consequences for your actions. This was not a mistake was it? This was a planned out act."

Sirius nodded miserably. "I-I invited her over," he admitted. "We were going to sit on the front porch but she wanted to come in."

"I appreciate your honesty however, even sitting on the front porch would still be against the rules. You have a curfew and you are not to be out of this house past that curfew." The hand that had patted the boys hip, moved around him to swat his rear end. "You are not above those rules young man nor are you too old to go over my knee!"

Sirius jumped slightly at the unexpected swat. "I know," he sobbed out the reply. "I didn't think I was!"

"You are fourteen years old!" Charles scolded sternly forcing himself to ignore the boy's tears. "That is a far cry from being of age! " His hand moved to smack Sirius' bum once more eliciting a loud sob. "Something like this had better never happen again. Is that clear Sirius?"

Sirius quickly nodded. "It's clear. I swear it is!"

Charles was silent for a long moment before he cleared his throat. "Go fetch the slipper from my desk drawer."

Unlike James who would have argued over the task until he was blue in the face, Sirius quickly stepped away and moved over to the desk, returning a moment later with the slipper in his hand.

Charles held a hand out, taking the slipper from his child and leaning back to sit it on his desk behind him. He turned back, taking hold of Sirius' wrist and carefully moving the boy to his side. "You should be absolutely ashamed of yourself for such behavior!" He released his grip on the child, his hands moving to lower his pajama bottoms.

"I-I'm sorry! I swear that I am!" Sirius rubbed at his face in some desperate attempt to clear it of the tears that were still falling. "It won't happen again!"

Without another word, Charles took hold of Sirius' wrist once more and quickly yet carefully guided him over his lap. He adjusted the teenager slightly before hooking his fingers into his shorts and peeling them back. His left arm wrapped tightly around the boy's middle as his right hand reached back and picked up the slipper once more.

"You- you don't have to use the slipper," Sirius said in a desperate voice thoroughly hating himself for sounding like such a child. "Really dad!"

"You did not have to disobey and defy your mum and I as you did." Charles raised the slipper and brought it down in a stinging smack on his unprotected target. "I am disappointed in you."

A loud sob escaped Sirius though it was more from the words than from the slipper. He absolutely despised this. He just wanted it to be over so he could hug the man and beg for forgiveness.

Charles raised his hand and brought the slipper down once more before he found a rhythm and began spanking in earnest. "The rules in this house are set for a reason. They are made to be followed not disobeyed simply because you felt that you wanted to do so." He landed the slipper in a particularly hard smack across the undercurve of the small rear end.

"I know!" Sirius sobbed in agreement as he attempted to wiggle his backside out of aim to no avail. "I'm sorry!"

"We are raising you better than that!" Charles scolded as he continued to allow the slipper to fall.

Sirius nodded as he moved his arm, hiding his face in the crook of his elbow. The tears continued to fall, dripping from his chin.

Charles allowed the slipper to fall several more times before he landed a hard smack to each of the boy's sit spots. "Is this lesson learned Sirius or do we need to continue here?"

"It's learned!" Sirius immediately answered in a desperate voice. "I swear it's learned!"

Charles looked down at the red backside over his lap and cringed slightly. He dropped the slipper on the floor beside him before his hand moved to gently rub Sirius' back.

"I'm sorry," Sirius cried as he rubbed his face onto his sleeve. "I'm so sorry!"

"I know," Charles replied softly. "Calm down and then we will talk some more." His hand rubbed gentle circles on the small of the child's back.

Sirius remained where he was for several long moments before he pulled himself up. He quickly righted his clothing before leaning forward, resting his head on his dad's chest.

Charles wrapped his arms around the boy, pulling him closer to him in a tight hug. "It will all be okay."

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered into the man's neck. "I'm sorry that I disappointed you."

Charles hummed softly as he squeezed the boy tightly. "I want you to listen to me very carefully." He paused until he felt Sirius nod against his neck. "I do not expect you to be perfect. You are allowed to make mistakes Sirius. However, when you do I expect you to learn from them. I trust that this will not be a mistake that is made again."

"It won't. I promise."

"I believe you," Charles said softly as he loosened his grip on the boy, his hand moving to rub his back once more. "I think you should lie down for a bit of a nap. You didn't sleep very much last night."

Sirius nodded in agreement as he slowly pulled away from the man.

Charles stood, placing a gentle hand on Sirius' back as he guided him towards the door. "I want you to know that Sarah is more than welcome to come visit at a proper hour."

Sirius nodded as he was guided out of the study and towards the staircase. "That's what mum said too."

"There is no need to sneak around with her," Charles said in a gentle tone as they started up the staircase.

"Maybe she can come over for dinner one night?" Sirius asked in a hopeful voice as he glanced up at his dad. His tears had finally stopped and he was beyond thankful for it.

"She absolutely can," Charles replied as they stepped onto the second floor. "I am sure that your mum would love that idea as well."

Charles guided the boy into the bedroom that the boys shared at the cottage and over to his bed. He waved his hand causing the room to darken a considerable amount, the curtains shutting themselves tightly.

Sirius laid down on his stomach. "Dad?"

"Hmm?" Charles pulled the blankets up over the teenager, tucking them tightly around his shoulders.

"I really am sorry. It won't ever happen again."

"I know and I forgive you," Charles said softly as he sat on the edge of the bed and began gently rubbing the boys back. "I am not cross with you in the least."

"Okay," Sirius breathed as his eyes closed. "Love you."

"I love you very much Sirius," Charles whispered. "Very much indeed."


End file.
